Does being Chican* or a US-born Mexican mean you are inherently indigenous? These communities' unique histories are one of the reasons behind an assertive answer to this question. This literature review examines the different arguments surrounding the complexity of claiming indigeneity as Chican*s and US-born Mexicans. The argument is that claiming indigeneity as Chican*s and US-born Mexicans can, unintentionally, contribute to the neglect of Indigenous struggles and experiences. US-born Mexicans (commonly called Mexican Americans) were included due to their similarities with Chican*s. To critically analyze this issue, the literary focus was placed on the historical junctions of the analyzed literature and the general arguments relating to Chican* Indigeneity and Indigenism. The historical junctures chosen were the Spanish conquest, Modern Nation-State Mexico, the Anglo conquest, and the Chicano movement. Then, both supporting and critiquing stances were examined for two questions: are Chican*s Indigenous? And is a potential claim beneficial? The gap found was that the content surrounding this discussion, primarily written in English, restricts perspectives critical to this conversation. As the final point, the stance taken is that counterarguments about policing or validating identity fail to include Indigenous frameworks, where then claimed indigeneity could perpetuate settler colonialism.
